National Agricultural Research Organisation. Fisheries [Resources] Research Institute Annual Report 1997/98

About 20% of Uganda territory is surface water from which 250,000m tons of fish is produced. In addition to fish exports which earned the country US$ 40m in 1996, fish provides 50% of protein diet of the 20m people translating into a per capita consumption of 12kg. It is estimated that fishery related activities employ at least one million people.The goal of FIRRI is to generate and transfer improved technologies and policy recommendations aimed at ensuring sustainable fish production and a healthy environment in which fish is produced.

National Agricultural Research Organisation. Fisheries Resources Research Institute Annual Report 1999/2000

Lake Victoria shoreline in Jinja Municipality has four urban wetlands of Kirinya West/Loco, Kirinya East/Walukuba, Masese and Budumbuli which have undergone major changes during the past fifty years due to increased human activities. Amongst these activities is the continuous inflow of agricultural run-off, industrial and municipal wastewater. A significant increase in nutrient loads of Nitrogen and Phosphorus from the catchment area continues to enhance eutrophication of Lake Victoria. Pollution from point sources (Industrial plants and NWSC Kirinya final maturation pond) into Jinja’s urban wetlands were therefore studied using a simplified material flux analysis methodology to identify the active elements and estimate the pollution loads due to Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Carbon (nutrients), Chromium, Copper, Lead, Nickel and Manganese metals.

National Agricultural Research Organisation. Fisheries Resources Research Institute Annual Report 2000/2001

It is now clear that fisheries resources are among the key assets contributing to the national development objective of poverty eradication through providing food, employment, income and export earnings. It was recently reported in the papers that monthly fish exports had increased by 23% and fetched about US$ 10 Million during the month of November 2001 alone. This value may be underestimated as it is based solely on recorded exports from fish processing factories numbering 12. Although fisheries resources are renewable they can be depleted through unsustainable exploitation. It is therefore important to ensure that there is guided development and management of this asset so that it can continue contributing to the livelihood of the people who depend on it. Therefore, FIRRI contributes to the fisheries sub-sector developmental objective of ensuring increased and sustainable fishery production and utilization by providing information to guide sustainable management of capture fisheries resources and development of aquaculture.

National Agricultural Research Organisation. Fisheries Resources Research Institute Annual Report 2001-2002

Fisheries continue to be important in the national economy, especially as an export commodity. Fish exports increased from 15,876 tonnes valued at 34.4 million US$ in 2000 to 28,153 tonnes valued at 79.0 million US$ in 2001. Consequently information for sustainable exploitation and management of fish stocks is a priority. In order to fulfill this requirement, FIRRI has been implementing two research projects. The first project focuses on sustaining and increasing capture fisheries production through management of fish stocks, biodiversity and environment of aquatic systems. The second project focuses on increasing fish production through improved fry production and pond management and feeding of cultured species.

National Agricultural Research Organisation. Fisheries Resources Research Institute Annual Report 2002/2003

One of the avenues through which the Government objective of poverty eradication in Uganda can be achieved is Fisheries development and management. Up to 20% of Uganda’s surface area is covered by aquatic systems i.e. lakes, rivers, streams and swamps and to a large extent, all these are interconnected. The large lakes: Victoria, Albert, Kyoga, George and Edward are sites of the more important commercial fisheries, but even the smaller water bodies, rivers (e.g. the Rivers Nile and Kagera) and the surrounding swamps provide sources of livelihood to rural areas. Fish is an important source of high quality food, employment revenue and is currently the second most important export commodity next to coffee generating approximately US $ 80 million annually. Fish exports to regional markets are worth at least US $ 20 million annually. Fish flesh is rich in proteins, which are superior to those of beef and poultry. Fish flesh contains an anticholesterol which assists in reducing heart diseases. Some fishes are of medicinal value e.g. haplochromines (Nkejje) are used to treat measles. Most of the fish in Uganda is got from lakes Victoria, Kyoga, Albert and Albert Nile, Edward and George production systems as well as from the 160 minor lakes and rivers and the associated wetland systems. Capture fisheries based in these systems contribute up to 99% of the fish production in Uganda but aquaculture is also picking up. The fishing industry employs up to one million Ugandans

National Agricultural Research Organisation. Fisheries Resources Research Institute Annual Report 2003/2004

About 18% of Uganda’s surface area is covered with water from which 300,000 metric tonnes of fish are produced. Fish are currently the second most important export commodity generating approximately US$100 million. Fish provides 50% of protein diet for the 20 million people translating into per capita consumption of 12 kg. Close to the production system, this figure rises to 50 – 100 kg. It is estimated that fishery-related activities employ at least one million people countrywide (i.e. 5% of the population). Fish is an important source of high quality food, employment, and revenue and it is currently the second most important export commodity next to coffee generating approximately US $ 80 million annually. Fish exports to regional markets are worth at least US $ 20 million annually. Fish flesh is rich in proteins, which are superior to those of beef and poultry. Fish flesh contains an anticholesterol which assists in reducing heart diseases. Some fishes are of medicinal value e.g. haplochromines (Nkejje) are used to treat measles. Most of the fish in Uganda is got from lakes Victoria, Kyoga, Albert and Albert Nile, Edward and George production systems as well as from the 160 minor lakes and rivers and the associated wetland systems. Capture fisheries based in these systems contribute up to 99% of the fish production in Uganda but aquaculture is also picking up. The fishing industry employs up to one million Ugandans.

National Agricultural Research Organisation. Fisheries Resources Research Institute Annual Report 2004/2005

About 18% of Uganda’s surface area is covered with water from which about 300,000 metric tonnes of fish are produced. Fish are currently the second most important export commodity generating approximately US$100 million annually. Fish provides 50% of protein diet for the 20 million people translating into per capita consumption of 12 kg. Close to the production system, this figure rises to 50 – 100 kg. It is estimated that fishery-related activities employ at least one million people countrywide (i.e. 5% of the population). Fish exports to regional markets are worth at least US $ 20 million annually. Fish flesh contains an anticholesterol which assists in reducing heart diseases. Some fishes are of medicinal value e.g. haplochromines (Nkejje) are used to treat measles. Most of the fish in Uganda is got from lakes Victoria, Kyoga, Albert and Albert Nile, Edward and George production systems as well as from the 160 minor lakes and rivers and the associated wetland systems. Capture fisheries based in these systems contribute up to 99% of the fish production in Uganda but aquaculture is also picking up. The fishing industry employs up to one million Ugandans

National Agricultural Research Organisation. National Fisheries Resources Research Institute Annual Report 2007/2008

During the reporting period, NaFIRRI realigned its projects under ARTP II extension to focus on: 1. Determination of appropriate technologies and methods for harvesting and conservation of fish species in the Albert and Kyoga Systems 2. Impact of policies and technologies on livelihoods 3. Generation of knowledge for the management of aquatic invasive weeds and their hot spots in Lakes Albert and Kyoga 5. Determination of environmental factors influencing productivity for fisheries in Lakes Albert and Kyoga Systems 6. MSI - Nile perch project 7. Adaptation and Facilitating Dissemination of Appropriate technologies for harvesting Commercial Species 8. Identification of fish species suitable for culture and marketing, and promotion of their commercial culture in the Eastern AEZ.

National Agricultural Research Organisation. National Fisheries Resources Research Institute Annual Report 2011/2012

The annual report presents present activities and achievements for the reporting year 2011/2012. The Objectives of NaFIRRI are highlighted below: a) Generation of knowledge and technologies of strategic importance for the management, development and conservation of fisheries resources and water quality. b) Establishment and management of the human, physical and financial resources of the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute. c) Provision of technical backstopping and capacity building to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institutes (ZARDIs) and other agencies dealing in fisheries research and water quality. d) Development and management of fisheries research information and ensuring collaboration with stakeholders. e) Planning, monitoring and evaluation of all fisheries research programmes undertaken by the institute to ensure conformity with national research strategy. f) Ensuring the quality of knowledge and technologies developed, multiplied and disseminated through uptake pathways. g) Generation of periodic reports on fisheries and water quality research programmes to National Agricultural Research Council (NARC) and other stakeholders. h) Establishment of sustainable linkages and partnerships with local, regional and international research bodies.

National Agricultural Research Organization. National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI) Annual Report 2010/2011

The Mandate of the National Fisheries Resources Research institute (NaFIRRI) is to manage, promote and undertake applied and basic research of strategic and national importance in aquaculture, capture fisheries, water environment, socio-economics and marketing, information communication management and any emerging issues in the fisheries

Reciprocal chromosome painting illuminates the history of genome evolution of the domestic cat, dog and human

Domestic cats and dogs are important companion animals and model animals in biomedical research. The cat has a highly conserved karyotype, closely resembling the ancestral karyotype of mammals, while the dog has one of the most extensively rearranged mammalian karyotypes investigated so far. We have constructed the first detailed comparative chromosome map of the domestic dog and cat by reciprocal chromosome painting. Dog paints specific for the 38 autosomes and the X chromosomes delineated 68 conserved chromosomal segments in the cat, while reverse painting of cat probes onto red fox and dog chromosomes revealed 65 conserved segments. Most conserved segments on cat chromosomes also show a high degree of conservation in G-banding patterns compared with their canine counterparts. At least 47 chromosomal fissions (breaks), 25 fusions and one inversion are needed to convert the cat karyotype to that of the dog, confirming that extensive chromosome rearrangements differentiate the karyotypes of the cat and dog. Comparative analysis of the distribution patterns of conserved segments defined by dog paints on cat and human chromosomes has refined the human/cat comparative genome map and, most importantly, has revealed 15 cryptic inversions in seven large chromosomal regions of conserved synteny between humans and cats.

Management of the nile perch, Lates niloticus, fishery in Lake Victoria in light of the changes in its life history characteristics

Nile perch, Lates niloticus Linnaeus, 1758, is a predatory fish of high commercial and recreational value. It can grow to a length of 2 m and a weight of 200 kg. In Uganda, Nile perch was originally found only in Lake Albert and the River Nile below Murchison Falls. The species is, however, widely distributed in Africa, occurring in the Nile system below Murchison Falls, the Congo, Niger, Volta, Senegal and in Lakes Chad and Turkana (Greenwood 1966).

Genetic diversity and population history of the red panda (Ailurus fulgens) as inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequence variations

The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is one of the flagship species in worldwide conservation and is of special interest in evolutionary studies due to its taxonomic uniqueness. We sequenced a 236-bp fragment of the mitochondrial D-loop region in a sample of 5

The ADH1B Arg47His polymorphism in East Asian populations and expansion of rice domestication in history

Background: The emergence of agriculture about 10,000 years ago marks a dramatic change in human evolutionary history. The diet shift in agriculture societies might have a great impact on the genetic makeup of Neolithic human populations. The regionally restricted enrichment of the class I alcohol dehydrogenase sequence polymorphism (ADH1BArg47His) in southern China and the adjacent areas suggests Darwinian positive selection on this genetic locus during Neolithic time though the driving force is yet to be disclosed. Results: We studied a total of 38 populations (2,275 individuals) including Han Chinese, Tibetan and other ethnic populations across China. The geographic distribution of the ADH1B*47His allele in these populations indicates a clear east-to-west cline, and it is dominant in south-eastern populations but rare in Tibetan populations. The molecular dating suggests that the emergence of the ADH1B*47His allele occurred about 10,000 similar to 7,000 years ago. Conclusion: We present genetic evidence of selection on the ADH1BArg47His polymorphism caused by the emergence and expansion of rice domestication in East Asia. The geographic distribution of the ADH1B*47His allele in East Asia is consistent with the unearthed culture relic sites of rice domestication in China. The estimated origin time of ADH1B*47His allele in those populations coincides with the time of origin and expansion of Neolithic agriculture in southern China.